[08] Erdogan is visiting Russia to meet with Putin. Turkey and Russia
to establish a strategic partnership

[01] Talat noted that they evaluated the issue of governance and power
sharing and that there is not much to say on this issue

Under the title The first meeting lasted 9 hours, Turkish Cypriot daily
Yeni Duzen newspaper (12.01.10) reports that the first meeting between
President Christofias and the Turkish Cypriot leader, Mehmet Ali Talat
within the framework of the intensified negotiations for reaching a
solution to the Cyprus problem lasted nine hours. The paper notes that
no statement was issued by the United Nations after the meeting. The
intensified negotiations will continue today and tomorrow. The paper
adds that this was the 61st meeting between the leaders.

In statements after the meeting, Mr Talat said they discussed the issue
of governance and power sharing and that the Greek Cypriot side
expressed some views orally. Responding to questions at his office last
night around 19.00 hours, Mr Talat noted that they evaluated the issue
of governance and power sharing and that there is not much to say on
this issue. He said they will continue the discussions today and
expressed the hope to reach to a more concrete point today and
tomorrow.

Asked to comment on some allegations that the Greek Cypriot side has
submitted a document in the talks, Mr Talat said: Let me not say
whether it submitted or not, but it shared with us some views it has.
It has not submitted yet anything in writing.

Mr Talat noted that he could say they discussed in deep the issue of
governance and power sharing and pointing out that they spent all day
on this issue added that they did not spend time in vain.

Responding to another question, Mr Talat said there was no tension in
the meeting and noted that they took up various issues during the face
to face meeting with President Christofias which did not last for
long.

Noting that they will continue the discussion of governance and power
sharing, Mr Talat said they are also planning to take up the issues of
economy and the EU.

(I/Ts.)

[02] Ercakica said the Turkish side insists on the proposals it
submitted in the Cyprus talks

Turkish Cypriot daily Yeni Duzen newspaper (12.01.10) reports that
Hasan Ercakica, spokesman of the Turkish Cypriot leader, has said that
the Turkish Cypriot side insists on its proposals. In statements
yesterday to Kanal Sim television and Sim FM radio, which broadcast a
special program on the occasion of the intensified negotiations, Mr
Ercakica noted that the Turkish Cypriot side backs up its proposals and
added: We are not going to withdraw them because the Greek Cypriot side
said this or that.

Mr Ercakica said they are expecting for the Greek Cypriot side to
submit counter views or proposals to the above-mentioned proposals of
the Turkish side, which are a result of two-month work.

Turkish Cypriot daily Yeni Duzen newspaper (12.01.10) reports that
Huseyin Ozgurgun, self-styled minister of foreign affairs of the
breakaway regime, has stated that, as government, they back up the
package of proposals submitted by the Turkish Cypriot leader to
President Christofias. In statements to Kanal Sim television and Sim FM
radio yesterday, Mr Ozgurgun noted that the cross voting is an element
to which they were opposed in the past, but the package was submitted
as proposals of the Turkish side and the objections to the package from
now on would not be appropriate for a statesman. Mr Ozgurgun described
as balanced the proposals submitted by Mr Talat.

Political circles described as interesting the statements by Mr
Ozgurgun and pointed out that they are very different from the views
expressed by the government.

(I/Ts.)

[04] KTOS accuses Turkey of not wanting a solution in Cyprus and of
exerting efforts for the division of the Island

Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (12.01.10) reports that Sener
Elcil, General Secretary of the Cyprus Turkish Teachers Trade Union
(KTOS), has called on the circles who want the division of Cyprus and
who exert efforts to lead the negotiating process to end with division,
to hand over the passports and the identity cards of the Republic of
Cyprus which they possess.

In a written statement issued yesterday, Mr Elcil noted that Turkey
exerts efforts for the non-solution of the Cyprus problem and added
that while Ankara on the one hand forces the Turkish Cypriot leader
Talat to carry out negotiations for the solution and submits proposals,
on the other hand it forces the self-styled prime minister Dervis
Eroglu to make statements regarding the existence of two separate
states.

Mr Elcil said while Turkey intervened in the island in 1974 in order to
restore the constitutional order of the Republic of Cyprus and protect
its territorial integrity, Ankara continues to exert efforts at full
speed for the non-solution and the division.

Reminding of statements made recently by the self-styled minister of
foreign affairs, Huseyin Ozgurgun, that the continuation of the
negotiating process aims at lifting the obstacles in front of Turkey in
its accession course towards the EU, Mr Elcil argued that with these
statements Mr Ozgurgun proved that they do not aim at the solution.

(I/Ts.)

[05] Self-styled minister will hold contacts in the United Arab
Emirates in order to promote the investments in the occupied areas of
Cyprus

Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (12.01.10) reports that the
Cyprus Turkish Investment Development Agency (YAGA) will deliver
lectures between 13 and 16 January in the United Arab Emirates (UAE)
and the Sultanate of Oman with the aim of promoting the opportunities
and the possibilities for investing in the occupied areas of Cyprus.
The delegation that will visit UAE and Oman will be headed by Sunat
Atun, self-styled minister of economy and energy. The paper notes that
75 potential investors have been invited to each of the lectures to be
given on 13 January in Abu Dabi, the biggest of the seven emirates and
rich in oil and natural gas, and on 16 January in Muscat, capital of
Oman. In parallel with the lectures, meetings with various institutions
and state organs will be held. The lectures are organized in
cooperation with the Islamic Centre for Development of Trade, which is
a branch of the Organization of Islamic Conference.

Mr Atun will meet with the UAEs Minister for Foreign Trade, Sheikha
Lubna Al Quasimi, the Minister of Economy, Sultan Bin Saeed al
Mansouri, the ambassador of Turkey to the UAE and other officials.

(I/Ts.)

[06] Illegal Turkish settlers say they do not want to see the flag of
the Republic of Cyprus on the Island

Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (12.01.10) reports that the
Culture and Solidarity Association of the Turkish settlers from Konya
who live in the occupied areas of Cyprus reacted to the statement made
by President Christofias that he does not want to see the Turkish
occupation flag on Pendathaktylos Mountains. In statement issued by
Huseyin Sancar, chairman of the association, it is noted that they too
do not want to see any Greek Cypriot flag, as he described the flag of
the Republic of Cyprus, until it is internationally accepted that two
equal peoples, two equal democracies and two equal states exist on the
island.

(I/Ts.)

[07] Turkey pins its hopes on the Spanish Foreign Minister for
convincing the Greek Cypriot side to accept a four-party summit

Under the title The key man of the Cyprus knot, Turkish daily Hurriyet
newspaper (12.01.2010) writes that while the negotiations in Cyprus
have entered into a critical stage and the Turkish side is feeling the
time pressure which is caused by the coming presidential elections in
the occupied areas of the Republic of Cyprus, the Foreign Minister of
Spain, Miguel Angel Moratinos, is one of the names on which Turkey pins
its hopes.

Foreign Minister Moratinos, who is reportedly owner of property in the
free areas of the Republic of Cyprus, is a key name not only because
Spain holds the EU tern presidency, but also due to the fact that he
knows the Greek Cypriot leaders so close that he could convince them,
reports Hurriyet.

Ankara seeks for international support on the proposal submitted by the
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan regarding the holding of a
four-party summit and the Spanish Foreign Minister is one of the most
influential names which is expected to get into action for securing
that the Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou and the Prime Minister
Erdogan sit at the negotiating table over Cyprus.

Being a Special Representative of the EU on the Middle East, Minister
Moratinos has used the island as a base for seven years and has
developed good relations with Greek Cypriot officials, writes the
paper, adding that it is hoped for Minister Moratinos to convince the
Greek Cypriot side on the issue of a four-party summit.

According to the paper, the Turkish side launched an attack with the
proposals submitted in the talks and even if the Greek Cypriot side is
not positive to the new opening package which the Turkish side put onto
the table in the direction of consultations held with Ankara, it is
said that pressure from international actors might force President
Christofias to bargain.

Prime Minister Erdogans proposal on a four-party meeting is the most
significant leg of the strategy followed by the Turkish side, argues
Hurriyet, adding that a summit in which Greece and Turkey will
participate bears importance from Ankaras perspective due to critical
issues such as the guarantorship rights and the withdrawal of the
Turkish occupation army from the island. According to the Turkish side,
if the Turkish proposal is accepted, the summit can be held among five
parties, that is, with the participation of Britain as the third
guarantor power in Cyprus.

For the acceptance of the four-party meeting, Ankara is to speed up its
diplomatic movements in order to gain the support of especially the EU
member countries.

On the other hand, the meeting which Turkeys EU Chief Negotiator Egemen
Bagis will hold with the Spanish Foreign Minister Moratinos on Friday
bears great importance for the developments, the paper notes.

(ML)

[08] Erdogan is visiting Russia to meet with Putin. Turkey and Russia
to establish a strategic partnership

Hurriyet Daily News.com (11.01.10) reported the following:

Turkey and Russia will set up a high-level strategic cooperation
working group Wednesday when Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan pays a
working visit to Moscow. Accompanied by five Cabinet members and a
group of businessmen, the prime minister aims to boost bilateral
relations, especially in the economic field.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart
Vladimir Putin will discuss ways to strengthen strategic and economic
ties during a two-day working visit later this week in Russia.

During their meeting, the two leaders plan to establish a high-level
strategic cooperation working group while energy will also be at the
top of the agenda, Russian diplomatic sources said.

They are dominant actors and are strategic partners in the region.
Russia wants to export its energy through a more secure route while
Turkey is keen on strengthening its position as an energy corridor. Its
a win-win situation, a Turkish official requesting anonymity told the
Hurriyet Daily News and Economic Review on Monday.

The working group will be co-chaired at the prime ministerial level
while other ministers coordinate the meetings with the participation of
senior bureaucrats. It is a clear sign that the cooperation will go
further as a result of mutual respect, the same official said.

Erdogan will meet some 300 Turkish entrepreneurs at a dinner on Tuesday
night before holding talks with President Dimitry Medvedev and Putin
the following day.

Russia is a major market for Turkish exporters and contracting groups
but they such business has suffered due to the aftermath of the
Georgian War of 2008.

Turkey and Russia largely tackled problems in customs, food exports and
transportation in August 2009 when Putin made a surprise visit to
Ankara to request permission to conduct feasibility studies on the
South Stream gas pipeline projected to run under Turkish waters.

Were looking for a mechanism to prevent any more crises and put the
relations on a sound footing, a separate Turkish official told the
Daily News on the condition of anonymity.

Russia, the worlds biggest energy exporter, will carry its crude oil
through a Samsun-Ceyhan pipeline currently being constructed from the
Black Sea to the Mediterranean port. Turkey is soon to announce two
tenders for nuclear power plants for which Russias Atomstroy is said to
be a potential bidder.

The officials are also expected to review the natural gas purchase
agreement that expires in 2011. Experts suggest it is time for Turkey
to ask for a price reduction while domestic consumption is less than
the total amount imported given that Iran and Azerbaijan can supply gas
at considerably cheaper prices.

State-run gas importer BOTAS has also been contracted to annually pay
Iran for a specified amount of gas regardless of whether or not the gas
is consumed. As a result of decreased domestic demand, Turkey will pay
approximately $1 billion for gas unused in 2009.

The Foreign Economic Relations Board, or DEIK's, Turkish-Russian
Business Council co-chairman, Cem Kozlu, said: Trade between Russia and
Turkey had a narrower scope 15-20 years ago. Now, what is different and
good is having dynamic and multi-dimensional trade relations.

Officials predict a $38 billion trade volume in 2010 that will reach
its target quicker than in 2008. Kozlu suggested there is a promising
potential waiting to be activated. It is not just in the hands of
politicians or the CEOs of big firms to set trade volume targets, he
said, adding that there is a chance for new opportunities with many
more actors in the picture.

Turkey and Lebanon will reciprocally lift visa procedures, the Turkish
Foreign Ministry said on Monday.

A statement of the ministry said Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet
Davutoglu and Lebanese Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants Ali
al-Shami signed the agreement on reciprocal removal of visa
requirements.

Under the agreement, Turkish and Lebanese citizens will be exempt from
visa reciprocally for their stay in each other's territories no longer
than 90 days.

The agreement will take effect after the two countries ratified them.

Earlier, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan held a joint press
conference with visiting Lebanese Prime Minister Sa'ad al-Din al-Hariri
and said two countries had signed six agreements, including the visa
exemption agreement. Erdogan said the other agreements were on areas of
health, agriculture, military cooperation, transportation and
education.

Following Turkey's recent diplomatic initiatives and its 'zero problem
with neighbors' policy, number of countries lifting visa requirements
on Turkey has risen to 55 after Syria, Libya, Lebanon and Jordan.

Below is the list of countries and special administrative regions that
do not impose visa requirements on Turkey:

Turkish Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek said he will be attending the
World Economic Forum in Davos this year after the countrys prime
minister announced he would not be attending, Turkish media reported
Monday.

Ill say it just once: I am not going to go there again, Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, according to daily Milliyet.

Daily Hurriyet reported that Simsek would attend the meeting instead of
Erdogan. Simsek emphasized the importance of Turkeys presence at Davos
in terms of relations with international investors.

Erdogans announcement comes nearly a year after he stormed out of a
debate on the Gaza conflict at the 2009 Davos summit. He accused Israel
of barbarian acts and told Israeli President Shimon Peres, You know
well how to kill people.

His reaction caused tension between the two countries that has had
long-lasting implications in their diplomatic affairs. Before the
outburst, Turkey had been a key Israel ally in the region since the two
signed a military cooperation deal in 1996.